Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Since a very young age, Arizona-based Mike Olbinski has been obsessed with weather. As a professional photographer, he has since translated that passion into mind-blowing images filled with the life and energy of nature. Olbinski creates dynamic photographs, from stark desert landscapes to bustling cityscapes, where storms consume the earth.

The artist is surrounded by all kinds of extraordinary wonders and he shows no fear as he ventures towards the bad weather rather than away from it! Through his lens, he documents powerful lightning striking to the ground and ominous skies as billowing storm clouds roll in. "The summers in Arizona bring the monsoon thunderstorms, and they are a blast to chase. We get amazing clouds, awesome dust storms, and serious amounts of lightning," explains Olbinski.

The new KINDL—Centre for Contemporary Art recently opened its doors in Berlin with a site-specific installation titled Kitfox Experimental, created by St. Gallen, Switzerland-based artist Roman Signer. The title of the piece refers to the aircraft used in the installation, which dangles from the former brewery complex's 20-meter high ceiling in a dizzying display.

"An airplane hangs about four meters above the ground with its nose pointing downward—a lightweight aircraft," Signer describes his work. "Then there are powerful fans on the walls that cause the plane to move, since it is hanging from a joint that can be turned very easily. And so the wind is supposed to cause the airplane to turn, as if it were spinning in a nosedive as it plummeted downward." Caught in a suction of constant movement, the overwhelming presence of Kitfox Experimental confronts the viewer with a simultaneously discomforting and engaging experience.

The KINDL, although still under construction, will eventually feature three floors of exhibition space for international art. Signer's installation, which marks the centre's debut, will be on display until June 28, 2015.

Botanical artist Makoto Azuma explores new and different ways to view the iconic Japanese bonsai plant. His latest work uses natural materials and LED lights to submerge one of Japan’s oldest art forms in a minimalist underwater environment.

To construct the bonsai, Azuma used a twisted piece of deadwood for its trunk and added java moss to resemble the leaves. The tree was then placed in a tank with lighting and CO2 emissions to spark photosynthesis. A filtration system helps keeps the water free of bacteria and allows the moss to thrive.

The gentle flow of water causes the tree to slowly wave back and forth and the moss' small hairs to subtly move; this fosters a calming and almost hypnotic feel as you observe the work. It’s an unexpected way to view a bonsai, and Azuma offers another intriguing, contemporary spin onto this thousand-year-old tradition.

Look closely at these miniature scenes and you may be surprised by what you discover. 15-year-old Zev Hoover has a wildly vivid imagination that he translates into unbelievably magical moments. The young Massachusetts-based artist began taking pictures when he was just 8-years-old and, over the years, he has developed his skills to an impressively high level.

Hoover creates a wonderfully imaginative world by photographing regular-sized backgrounds and scenes and then shrinking his subjects down to appear miniature. He tries to shoot everything in the same location but, if that's not possible, he makes sure to match the lighting as evenly as he can, sometimes drawing in shadows. He then digitally blends elements from multiple photographs together into a single, whimsical moment that doesn't quite match up to reality.

"What's really cool about shooting my pictures is that it's a totally different world: Kids sitting on acorns; rafts made of popsicle sticks; floating down a stream on a playing card," describes Hoover. "I like putting my eye near the ground because you see a totally different world when you are thinking from the point of view of something smaller than you."

Berlin-based fashion and portrait photographer Olaf Heine departs from his usual subjects of celebrities and haute couture with Brazil, a collection of intimate, black-and-white photos that highlight the multifaceted charms of the South American country. Published in a hardcover photo book by teNeues, Heine's atmospheric images take the viewer on a whirlwind, visual journey that follows the photographer's own fascination with Brazil.

The photos, which were taken between 2010 and 2014, capture all the aspects of Brazil that made Heine fall in love with the land—from the densely packed urban dwellings bustling with life, to the sleek architectural forms that dot the landscape, to the lush allure of natural vistas like mountains and sea, and the lively and warm spirit of the Brazilian people.

"A Brazilian proverb states, 'Those who leave will take longing on their journeys,'" reads the volume's description. "Heine’s photographs are as deeply melancholic as they are sensual. With a keen sense for shapes and textures, he also exemplifies Oscar Niemeyer’s words: 'The whole universe is made of curves.' These curves appear in architecture and human bodies, and also permeate the Brazilian lifestyle. From the intensity of its passions to the lightness of its shapes, Olaf Heine portrays a fascinating country in all its diversity and beauty."

Brazil is available as a collector's edition from teNeues Publishing Group, or as a standard edition from retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Berlin-based fashion and portrait photographer Olaf Heine departs from his usual subjects of celebrities and haute couture with Brazil, a collection of intimate, black-and-white photos that highlight the multifaceted charms of the South American country. Published in a hardcover photo book by teNeues, Heine's atmospheric images take the viewer on a whirlwind, visual journey that follows the photographer's own fascination with Brazil.

The photos, which were taken between 2010 and 2014, capture all the aspects of Brazil that made Heine fall in love with the land—from the densely packed urban dwellings bustling with life, to the sleek architectural forms that dot the landscape, to the lush allure of natural vistas like mountains and sea, and the lively and warm spirit of the Brazilian people.

"A Brazilian proverb states, 'Those who leave will take longing on their journeys,'" reads the volume's description. "Heine’s photographs are as deeply melancholic as they are sensual. With a keen sense for shapes and textures, he also exemplifies Oscar Niemeyer’s words: 'The whole universe is made of curves.' These curves appear in architecture and human bodies, and also permeate the Brazilian lifestyle. From the intensity of its passions to the lightness of its shapes, Olaf Heine portrays a fascinating country in all its diversity and beauty."

Brazil is available as a collector's edition from teNeues Publishing Group, or as a standard edition from retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.